


To Dwindle With The Night

by elrondhalfelven



Series: Of Elrond Peredhel [6]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Angst, Gen, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-02
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:28:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29809125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elrondhalfelven/pseuds/elrondhalfelven
Summary: Elrond muses over his relationship with the sea, upon realising that he must sunder himself from his children.
Series: Of Elrond Peredhel [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2185962
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	To Dwindle With The Night

The water is cold, bitter winter upon gentle spring that wishes for naught but to recede. Elrond wants to fade away too, he thinks. He wants to watch his silver circlet glimmer as it drowns beneath the sea, wants to become a wispy memory of ages past that not even his Father’s star can make waxing and indulge himself with thoughts of that which he has been denied for too long. Instead, he lingers; ankle deep in the waters, darkened and brooding with the night. Elrond muses that he is much in likeness to the sea; he too is adorned by the shadows of twilight, yet the piercing watchfulness of the stars he can never seem to escape. His thoughts are pitch-dark as night, but stars always wax within them. Elrond has known many stars, but none of them have ever answered his summons for light when they are needed. What is hope, to the child it forsakes time again?

The shingle lashes at his bare feet, held captive by the waves. The pieces of rock scrape at his skin and form willowy, dark scars upon his legs; he watches them detachedly, as though he is not truly a part of himself but merely observing the damage from afar. Clouded grey eyes flicker from trembling legs to the ocean beyond; vast and unknowing. With a slender finger he twists his ring of Sapphire, Vilya, about where it rests dormant upon his hand; he could sink down to his knees and set it gently atop the next broken wave, he supposed. Somehow he knew it would float; the power it held was simply too pure to not be borne up by the seas. Distantly, he wondered if he would drown if he went too. 

He could succumb to the same fate as Sirion; to drift away atop the cradling embrace of the sea and find solace beneath the blanketing waters, where the keen gaze of the starlight could neither follow nor admonish him. Yet his choice had been made, in an Age long past but not forgotten. When the sunlight could still encase his mist-grey eyes, as gentle as the coming of an evening breeze. His choice had been made, so now he would abide by it; his light may be overcast by the night for a time, but the night would eventually pass and he would cease to dwindle. Elrond would be borne Westward by the seas, but he would not sink below the surface.

From his upright position atop his shadowy mare, Elrond’s gaze met the stars as they danced about him, embellishing his ebony hair with glimmering silver. The night encased him, caressing against him like a mother would a sorrowed child. A gentle glow dressed his middle finger with pale blue light, and he found himself uncertain that the past moments had not been some form of test put to his resolve.

As the faint but distinctive form of Imladris greets him as the cantering steed turns past the looming mountain sides, he finds he does not truly care.


End file.
